For Christmas my husband gave me a resurrection Selaginella lepidophylla plant. This started a conversation of a plant I found when I was a young girl.

Growing up in Toledo, OH, I was in a YMCA summer camp where we would go around to the local metro parks each day while our parents were working. One particular park had a very large sand dunes. The dunes were littered with these little plants that we called "star plants."

I brought one home to my mom one day and we enjoyed this plant for years to come. We researched in tons of books but never found an ID for it. The internet wasn't around back then, and eventually we gave up. The plant disappeared in our move a few years later, and we haven't thought much about it since.

Here is what I can remember about the plant:

It had a round center and when dried up, the star like legs wrapped around this center into a tight ball. When you wet the sand, the star like legs would open over a couple of minutes and raise the center section up into the air. It reminds me now of some sort of space ship when fully open. It would just stand on these little legs and make a star shaped pattern.

Much like the resurrection plant, when dry, it would curl back up into a tight ball until given water again. The plant wasn't more than an 1" or so big when fully open. Probably half that size when closed. I think it was a light tan or gray.

I don't know how true this part is, but I seem to remember that it would propagate by shooting tiny little "babies" out of the center of the round center section. A small hole would form and the little balls would just shoot out. I seem to remember watching this happening, but I was young so could be completely making this part up.

Based on the abundance of them at this park, I would have to assume they could survive in a zone 5 winter unless the metro park was repopulating these every year.

Does this ring a bell at all? I would love to find out what this plant was, and maybe even find one again one day...

never thought to wet them though ...

i am 15 miles north of toledo.. so they are in the range ...

ken

Ken do you happen to have a picture of your 'puffballs'? The park that we used to find these at was Oak Openings. In doing a little more research, I never knew what an amazing area I was playing in. Prickly Pear cacti in Toledo??? And just feet from orchids? Not sure how these things survive the winter, but very cool!

they look just like the ones at the link i provided.. you did see that link..didnt you??

ken

Nope, I don't see a link that you posted. Do you see one in your post? Am I going crazy? :)

I do see one that Carol posted. Is that what you mean?